Viruman Tamil Movie
After watching 'Viruman' I was trying to recollect the last time a Tamil movie had a proper 'panchayat scene'. My memory goes back a decade or so. Barring the spoofs, the so-called 'rural' milieu had an element of authenticity in the recent past. Thanks to directors like Vetrimaran and Manikantan, the true essence of any film is infused organically. Director Muthiah belongs to the old school breed of directors who stick to their guns and still believe that there is some juice left to squeeze from the 'formulaic' village-based subjects.
If Karthi yearned for the love of his sisters in 'Kadaikutty Singam', herein he does so for his brothers. However, the crux of the movie is about the conflict between a 'good-hearted' son and his 'wicked father'. Prakash Raj and 'wicked' are synonymous when it comes to such formulaic action movies. So, Karthi and Prakash Raj lead the way when it comes to performances.
The rest has been taken care of by Muthiah, the chef, who has attempted to reheat and serve the already stale formulae with sentiments, action, and romance served on an authentic plantain leaf. Certain milieu can be recreated only by certain people who have walked on that soil and have been an integral part of that space and time.
Director Muthiah commands respect while showcasing the down south milieu with great authenticity. We have seen such stuff in the past, but revisiting them one more time with Muthiah guiding us through is another trip to our backyard shandy. The language used, the body language employed to convey certain emotions, the sentiments - everything bears a certain signature from Muthiah.
The plot was predictable. We know the character arc traversed by different characters and we also know that all will end well. However, what we yearn for are the lines spoken by different characters. On that count, the writer in Muthiah triumphs. The lines were spoken authentically. The characters and their plot points were captured decently.
Aditi Shankar has made a decent debut that proves to be a minimum guarantee for any aspiring heroine. She emotes uniquely, but her vulnerabilities are quite visible. Hope she ages well! Soori as the traditional side kick does the job and delivers the laughter whenever needed.
There was a whole host of supporting cast who fitted well in their respective roles. Vadivukkarasi, Saranya, and Rajkiran show why they are veterans and why they are sought after. However, the villains were far too many. As a result, the action was also over-the-top. We get every kind of action block with Karthi whizzing past the goons. He was menacing initially. After a point, we get numb due to too many of these action blocks.
Yuvan's music was below average. Technicalities did not have much scope. Every time a goon is sent flying in the air with his legs spread wide, exposing his inners, care has been taken to blur the 'sensitive parts' - well-done VFX department.
Overall, the movie tries to please the masses with Karthi's family-friendly image and a plot that is tried and tested over the past several decades. Yes, it is stale and old school. If you can appreciate the old-world charm of the 80s and 90s Kollywood rural masala, then, Viruman might delight you!
MOVIE REVIEWS